Blue Fringe

A few years ago, I was introduced to the band Blue Fringe. 

Blue Fringe is described on the website as...

"four 20-something friends: Dov Rosenblatt, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist with an engaging stage presence and heartfelt style; Avi Hoffman, composer and lead guitarist known for his electrifying, bluesy notes; drummer Danny Zwillenberg, who incorporates rhythms from the likes of Latin, reggae, funk and rock; and Hayyim Danzig on the bass, both electric and upright, who gives the group its soul with bass-lines deeply rooted in old-school funk and jazz."

The most interesting thing about this group is how subtle the Jewish message is. If you aren't listening closely, it sounds like any other kind of music. The contemporary rock music is appealing to all audiences, but the message is special. Blue Fringe takes biblical and liturgical texts from Judaism and puts them to music, therefore spreading Jewish messages in an innovative way.

I am a huge fan of Blue Fringe and their music. At first, I was caught off-guard by the music. I was certainly not expecting the words that I heard to be paired with this contemporary rock music. I had the amazing opportunity of working with the band in a benefit concert for Israel that I co-chaired last year (check out the article my sister wrote about the event!). The guys in the band were really nice and down-to-earth. They were really enthusiastic about the concert, worked with us to raise as much money as possible, and were genuinely interested in making a difference. And, with Blue Fringe's help, we raised $10,000 for Magen David Adom!

I think that the goal of any Jewish musician is to bring people together through music. Blue Fringe definitely succeeds when it comes to bringing all kinds of people together. At the concert I helped organize, there were people from all different Jewish backgrounds- and even people who aren't Jewish came to support Israel and to enjoy some great music.

In the world of Jewish music, it isn't everyday that you find a group that can do what Blue Fringe does. I was hesitant about working with Blue Fringe at first. The band members are Modern Orthodox, and I wasn't sure what to expect from them on a personal level. The only thing I knew about them, as people, was that they were a bunch of young guys (that wear tzit-tzit and kippot) who were brought together because of their love for music. In the end, they put on an incredible show, and they were very easy to work with. I highly recommend their music to everyone, regardless of their religion, because it sends out universal messages that anyone can appreciate.